The Stanley Cup playoffs, more than any other league's postseason, are conducive to first-round upsets. Hot teams down the stretch battling to get into the field often continue their roll against heavily favored higher seeds.

It happened last season, when the Red Wings needed to win their final four games to reach the playoffs and then, as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, ousted second-seeded Anaheim in seven games.

It's not a stretch to believe a similar scenario could unfold this month.

The Red Wings are 5-1-1 in their past seven games and 9-4-2 in their past 15. They are confident they match up well against either club and are capable of winning. And they should be.

The return of several injured players over the past couple of weeks has made the Red Wings as deep up front as they've been all season.

Pavel Datsyuk is rounding into form. Gustav Nyquist is the league's top goal-scorer since Jan. 20. Darren Helm is dangerous. Daniel Alfredsson is highly motivated to win his first Cup. Youngsters Tomas Tatar, Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco have stepped up. Johan Franzen, though not as productive the past month, always is capable of going on a tear.

If first-half team MVP Henrik Zetterberg (back surgery on Feb. 21) returns late in the first round, which seems unlikely, it'll be a bonus.

Goaltender Jimmy Howard has won a season-high four in a row, allowing two goals in each start, and is 8-3-1 in his past 12 starts.

Defense continues to be the biggest concern. The third pairing of Jakub Kindl and Brian Lashoff hasn't been sharp. They have no depth and would need to dip into the Grand Rapids Griffins' pool of promising defensemen if one of their six were injured.

The Bruins are strong in all areas, with a terrific combination of size and skill. They have five players with 50 or more points (David Krejci, Jarome Iginla, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic and Reilly Smith), a strong defense anchored by 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara and one of the best goaltenders in the league (Tuukka Rask).

It's a veteran team that knows how to win, having won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and losing in the finals to Chicago last year.

The Penguins, as usual, are loaded up front with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin (due to return from a foot injury next week), Chris Kunitz and James Neal. They generate offense from a blue line that welcomed back Kris Letang on Wednesday after a 10-week absence following a stroke.

But they're not as strong defensively or in goal with Marc-Andre Fleury, who has posted a sub-.900 save percentage in each of the past four postseasons.

Whoever the Red Wings face, it will be a marquee matchup.

If the Red Wings play the Penguins, the clubs will rekindle a rivalry that began during back-to-back meetings in the Stanley Cup final (Detroit won in 2008, Pittsburgh in 2009).

If the Red Wings meet the Bruins, it will be the first time since 1957 that the Original Six rivals have squared off in the postseason.

The Red Wings went 3-1 against the Bruins this season, winning the final three meetings -- including a 3-2 victory on April 2 that ended Boston's 15-0-1 run.

The Red Wings went 1-1-1 vs. Pittsburgh, but sent a strong message in Wednesday's 4-3 shootout loss by outplaying the Penguins by a significant margin.

The Red Wings match up better against Pittsburgh. The Penguins aren't as strong defensively as Boston, their goaltending isn't as good and they're not as physically imposing as the Bruins. Pittsburgh also has a habit of self-destructing in the playoffs.

If Detroit earns the first wild card spot, it will face Pittsburgh. If it finishes with the second wild card spot, it will play Boston. It might come down to the final day of the season on Sunday.

Ultimately, it doesn't make a big difference who the Red Wings play. Boston and Pittsburgh are elite teams, but as coach Mike Babcock said Wednesday, Detroit promises to be a tough out.